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Thomas Reams
Thomas Reams (1970-) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2006 to 2007, succeeding Violet Stone and preceding Louise Stanley. Biography Thomas Reams was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England in 1970. He worked as an accountant before entering politics with the Conservative Party, and he became MP for Mid Salisbury in 1997. Reams assumed the party leadership in 2003 following party leader Edith Birch's defection to Plaid Cymru in a shocking betrayal motivated by her opposition to her party's increasingly pro-tax stances. In early 2003, he led the Tories to their first outright election victory since before 1997, winning a parliamentary majority with 24.02% of the vote and 7 seats; the Labour Party had just 18.84% and 6 seats by comparison. However, he fell one vote shy of attaining the premiership, losing to Labour Party leader Edward Everton 12-11. Reams was an adherent of "One-nation conservatism", supporting a paternalistic state which would keep its citizens' interests at heart with every decision. In mid-2003, he wrote a bill protecting plant varieties, and it passed through the House of Commons in a 20-7 vote. He unsuccessfully sought the premiership severla times until 2006, when he defeated the term-limited Labour prime minister Violet Stone's successor as Labour leader, Bruce Johnway, in a vote of 17-12. Premiership Reams had the support of his own party (bar Richard Pengelly, who was subsequently fired and replaced by Haider Zulfikar), DUP, half of the Liberal Democrats, UKIP, and Plaid Cymru. Reams failed 13-14 in his attempt to abolish national parks, as well as in his 10-14 opposition to a new vehicle emission limit bill. However, the Tories legalized gambling in a 16-10 vote, and they attempted to defeat any new spending programs and maintain the slow economic growth. Parliament then voted 14-4 to abolish national park and 14-8 to approve a pollution tax. In the mid-2006 elections, the Tories rose to 22.31% and 7 seats, Labour fell to 16% and 5 seats, Plaid fell to 15.02% or 4 seats, the Lib Dems rose to 14.46% and 4 seats, the SNP fell to 8.76% and 3 seats, the DUP rose to 9.61% and 3 seats, the GPEW rose to 8.10% and 2 seats, and UKIP rose to 5.74% and 2 seats. Reams won a second mandate to rule in a vote of 16-11, defeating Johnway once again. Parliament voted 18-7 to abolish arts subsidies, hoping to encourage continued economic growth. It also voted 18-5 against a gun control bill, with the Conservatives now opposing the law. In the first few weeks of 2007, Parliament voted 20-8 to approve the creation of a bus transport service. In the early 2007 elections, the Tories won 28.13% of the vote and 8 seats, Labour fell to 15.68% and 5 seats, Plaid fell to 14.26% and 4 seats, the Lib Dems fell to 11.21% and 3 seats, the DUP fell to 8.17% and 3 seats, the SNP fell to 8.35% and 3 seats, the GPEW fell to 7.76% and 2 seats, and UKIP rose to 6.44% and 2 seats. The term-limited Reams then stood down, and Louise Stanley became the new Prime Minister. Category:1970 births Category:British politicians Category:British Category:Politicians Category:English Category:Protestants Category:Anglicans Category:Conservative Party members Category:British conservatives Category:Conservatives Category:British prime ministers Category:Prime ministers